Reducing apparatus



A. L. BAU SMAN.

REDUCING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 191a.

Patented Feb. 3,1920.

3 SHEET$SHEET I jz Z [N ENTOR.

v,ifzf/fizzz BY ZZ M ATTORNEYS.

A. L. BAUSMAN.

REDUCING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. IQIB.

1,329,742. Patented Feb. 3,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Z? I r WW fi/WA I EN TOR.

A. L. BAUSMAN.

REDUCING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-5.1918.

Patented Feb. 3,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 lNVEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

nurrun STATES ALONZG LINTGN lBAUSlJZAIQ', OF CHICOPEE; IvIASSiZiCHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL EQUIPMENT CQME'ANY, OF ElPIEtINGFIELD,

MASSACHUSETTS.

EBASSAUHUSETTS, A CORPORATION REDUCING AIPIPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Feb. 3, 1920.

Application filed November 5, 1918. Serial No. 261,206.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T Anonzo LINTON BAUsaraN, a citizen of the United Sates of America, residing; at Chicopee, in the county oi? llainpden and State of Massachusetts,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reducing Apparatus, of

which the following is specification.

This invention relates to reducing apparatus and more particularly to improvements in the construction of the reducing surfaces on the face or faces of the cooperating reducing disks, as distinguished from the reducing machine itself.

The invention is particularly concerned with disks of the sort which may be used to advantage in reducing ap nrratus of the general type disclosed in my United States Let? ters Patent No. 1,035,304., granted August 13, 1912. Such apparatus is especially intended for use in refining the liquor obtained from the cocoa bean or chocolate and ilar substances. Experience has shown that the refining of substances of the character mentioned cannot be properly and satisfactorily accomplished by grinding disks of the usual sort due to special problems and peculiar conditions incident to the nature oil? the substances handled. The dc sign of reducing disks, which are suitable for the particular use described, has been the subject of considerable careful thought, study, and eXperii'n-entation, and successful disks have been produced, an example oi? which is found in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,208, l61, granted October 31, 1916.

Certain conditions, which the reducing disk must fulfil in order to successfully operate on cocoa liquor, chocolate, and the like, have come to be recognized. The disk rnust reline the liquor Without burning and pre vent caking of the'liquor on the disk with resulting burning. It should also refine thoroughly, yet speedily, and, lastly, it is V d arable that the disk be of relatively inexpensive construction. The cost of the disk has hereto tore been given the leasticonsideTa tion, and the successful disks for the stated purpose have been of a co struction, such as could only be formed by milling'or siinilar machining operations. Accordingly, the successful disks have been relatively expensive and this inrention is directed, among other things, to the provision of a reducing disk concition which has heretofore been a subsidiary one. That is, the inventio seeks to provide disk constructiomvvhlch Wlll oper-' ate at least as satisfactorily as those of milled construction and, by eliminating the slty for milling and like operations in ructinc; the reducing surfaces of the r greatly reduce the expense of 111%1111 facture.

My copeud'ing application Serial No.

170,059, filed May 91, 1917, is directed to the same general problem, and this invention is directed to improvements in reducing disk construction "of the character therein disclosed. 4

According to one feature of this invention, a disk construction is provided, Wherethe chiet reducing surfaces are formed large nuinber of pockets, which cover ntially all or": the disk face except a .vely small. portion adjacent itscenter, an: the feeding means consists primarily of a plurality of spaced and relatively large grooves, which ci'nanate from the center of the disk outwardly for a relatively short dis tance in a generally radial direction, and, secondarily, of a plurality of smaller and o'enerall parallel grooves for each primary having longitudinal axis disposed at an -le to that of its primary groove and incting; therewith. This feature of the ention is particularly characterized in t a speedy delivery of a relatively large volume of liquor nu beina'de to the relatively large primary food grooves and quickl y distributed, by Way of the secondary groves, to the adjacent and outlying pockets. The pockets are teniatically arranges in curved rows wi i many of such between, the feed and the pe of the disk. By the arrangement lb the 'leedgrooves deliver only to the first row or pocketsgand the liquor then travels il iioin pocket to pocket in a scrolllike path to the peripheryof the disk, and the liquor is held Within the continesof the dis for a longer period than if the feed grooves sorted more than one row of pockets, whereby a more certain, uniform,

which will satisfactorily meet all'those main condit1ons oi the problem essential to: successrul OPP/P3171011 andwill also meet that d groove, each of the secondary grooves of the pockets in t and higher degree of refining is obtained. The provision of a larger number of secondary feed grooves which intersect each main feed groove compensates for therelatively short radial extent of the main feed grooves and provides a substantially uniform and rapid distribution of th liquor from the feed opening at the center of the disk to the first rows of reducing pockets.

According to another feature of the invention, the reducing pockets are each longer than they are wide and are provided with one substantially vertical longitirlinal face and another longitudinal face which gradually slopes from the bottom of the pocket to the outer face of the disk. These pockets are out in curved rows, and the rows are separated from one another by curved dividing walls, the tops of which are in the same plane the outer face of the disk, and the center of curvature of the walls is eccentric to the center of the disk. By this arrangement, each pair of mating disks may be made exactly alike and yet when the disks move in face to face relation the detrimental effect, incident to surfaces, which continuously in contact during the refining operation, is avoided without the necessity of staggering the dividing walls of one disk with relation to those of the mating disk.

According to a further feature of the invention, the disk face is laid off into segments with one main and substantially radial feed groove for each segment and a plurality of smaller parallel feed grooves, the longitudinal of which are at an acute angle to that of the feed groove, so that all inay intersect the latter and be served thereby. The smaller feed grooves are formed generally like the pockets, but of progressively varying length, and their longitudinal axes are generally parallel to those he same segment and generally separated from the adjacent row of pockets by a curved dividing wall which is substantially parallel to these walls dividing the several rows of pockets in the same segment. This feature of the invention is characterized in that all of an annular portion of the disk adjacent its feed opening is utilized entirely for feeding grooves and wholly segregated from the reducing pockets which occupy the remainder and outer annular space of the disk face, whereby the liquor may be effectively and uniformly. distributed in fanlike form to the many hundreds of reducing pockets of the disk.

According to another feature of the invention, the disk face is designed to be made by simple casting operations, as distinguished from the more expensive milling operations, and the many pockets and feeding grooves are designed to permit this mode o formation and still be efiective for their intended functions. As a convenient means of forming the disk, its entire face is divided into plurality of separable and substantially sector-shaped arts, each of similar construction and adapted to be assembled ith their radial edges in abutting relation and secured to a suitable backing plate. As a simple means of securing the sections, each in radial edge is provided with one or more half holes, which are formed in the casting operation. The half holes in abutting sections mate up to provide a circular hole through which a retaining screw is passed, and means, in the nature of a ball and socket joint, is provided between the screw and the rough cast hole so that the two r. ting segments may be firmly clamped to backing plate despite irregularitie in e roughly cast holes tiieniselves. @ther features of the invention will apthe following description and in the illustrative en iodinient of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which igure 1 is 2 sectional elevationa-l view'of reducing apparatus of substantially the same type as c. sclosec in the patent first above-mentioned and sh we the several disk in cooperative relation;

is a 1 view of one of the reducdisks show the segmental construct n the reducing surface thereof. Only a portion the disk has been shown as finished to save needless labor in the drawing, inasmuch as tlie detail of the reducing surfaces is coniple ely shown in subsequent .L b arcs, and a portion of the disk face has been broken away to reveal the backing plate for the disk segments;

3 is an enlaiged fragmentary crossscctional view l i taken on the line 33 of 2 and illustrates the manner of fastenhe disk segments, to the backino plate; 55 1g. i is an enlarged p.-.an view or one of th disk segments showing the complete dctail of the redu ing surfaces thereon;

1g. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view 'aken on the line 55 of Fig. l and illusive of the main feeding groove construc- 7 .J o is a fra entary cross-sectional view taken on the line 6 of Fig. iand shows the construction the secondary feedinrr grooves; I a 7 is. a fragmentary plan view of a disk segment i -led for use on the opposite side of tile same plate on which the disk shown in Fia'. 4: is mountec, the re hown in reverse order;

cnted machine to enable one skilled in the art to obtain a full understanding of the operation as well as the most desirable as sembly of the reducing disks, which form the subject-matter of the present invention. Briefly, the machine involves a rotatable plate a, vhich is suitably secured to revoluble shaft 6, and two stationary and preferably jacketed heads a, which are arranged one on each side of plate a and in adjacent relation there "its. The reducing disks are arranged in pairs llR and L-L, and one disk of each pair is secured to the rotatable plate a and the other to the adjacent stationary head 0, the reducing surfaces oi. the

lisks of each pair being in substantially contiguous relation. The said surfaces are yieldingly held in such relation by a plurality of bolts (Z and suitable springs 6 associated with the bolts, as clearly shown. Inlet-s; f and 7' are provided in the stationary heads a to direct the material to be refined into the inner and central portions of the disks from whence it flows, as will later appear in detail, toward the peripheries of .the disks to emerge into a delivery pan g,

a suitable band. it being provided about the major portion of the peripheries of the several disks to prevent the refined material from emerging except at the desired points. Each of the several reducing disks, as R for example, particularly designed to be made by casting operations, and this especially. important and advantageous in disk construction for the iresent purpose in that it saves the relatively large expense of milling the countless, small pockets with which the disk face is covered. Preferably, the disk is made up of a plurality of snbstantially sector-shaped sections or segments, as 9", each segment on the same disk being a replica of every other segment. Thus, a number, as eight, of segn'ients 7 may be cast from the same pattern and assembled, in the form shown in Fig. 2, to form the complete disk R, and then secured to the hacking plate, in this instance. the rotatable head a.

The manner of securing the segments 9 to the backing plate is important and novel in a disk construction of the present char acter. Each segment a has formed in each of its radial edges severalhalt holes 10 (Figs. 3 and l) which are enlarg d, as at 11, adjacent the outer portion of the disk, and the intersection of the parts 10 and 11 a'll'ords a shoulder 12 (Fig: 3). These half holes are entirely formed during the casting operation, and it is unnecessary to later finish them. l l hen the several segments r are assembled in the relation shown in Fig. 2, the half holes 10 in the abutting edges of adjacent segments 7 mate toget ner and form complete holes through. which the shanks of: retaining screws 13 may be passed. Similarly the outer enlarged portions 11 of the half holes mate together to form recesses,

within which are received the heads 1% ofthe' screws 13, whereby the heads. are sunk below the plane 01 the outerface of the disk. The screws 13 are threaded into the backing plate, as a, and the segments 2" are to be held by the engagement of the heads 11 with the shoulders 12. formed by casting, they are likely to, be more or less rough and irregular and the adjoining shoulders 12 of abutting disks may conceivably even be at sli htly different levels. To permit each adjoining shoulder 12 to be equally gripped by the headle of the same retaining screw, loose washer 15 is applied to each pair of shoulders 12., and t iis washer is en a ed by the head ll rather the shoulders. The mating surfaces or the head i land washer 15 are fragmentary spherical surfaces of like radius, so that the equivalent of a ball and socketjoint isprovided to permit the washer to tip slightly, necessary, or to otherwise conform to the irregularities of the mating shoulders. where by cach shoulder oteach pair may be equally gripped by tie head of the same screw As already described, each of the segments on a disk are alike and the segments of the disks, RE are also alike. The segments of the disks L-L are also alike, hilt differ from the segments RR in thisthat they are made left-hand or in reverse order from such segments. All the segments are of the same essential construction, and a description of one, as a segment 7" of disk R, will suil ice for all. A fragment of a disk segn'ient Z is shown in Fig. 7 to show its left-handed arrangement with respect to the right-hand disk 1 shown in Fig. 4 and segment Z is intended for use in building up the disk L, the disk L being constructed of segments exactly similar thereto.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the "feeding grooves will first be described. Each segment is provided with three angularly spaced and substantially radial main feed grooves 18, which extend from the inner edge of the segment outwardly toward its periphery. Each groove 18, as shown in Fig. 6, has one longitudinal face which is substantially vertical or normal to the outer face of the disk and its other longitudinal face slopes gradually upward from the bot tom of the groove to the outer face of the disk As shown in Fig. 5, each groove 18 gradually decreases in depth, sloping upwardly from the inner edge oi' the disk and terminating in the plane of the outer face of the disk. The feed grooves 18 are relatively deep, as shown in Fig. 6, and wide, as shown in Fig. 4a,,and the grooves decrease gradually in width from a maxi.-

. mum, at the inner edge of the disk, to a Since the latter are nan to permit the latter to directly en age,

minimum at their terminus, Which latter is purposely arranged closer to the inner than to the outer edge of the disk.

For each of the feed grooves 18, there are provided a plurality of smaller or sub sidiary feed grooves 19. The latter are formed generally like the main feed grooves, as respects their cross-sectional shape, but dili'er in that they are smaller and more shallow and are substantially of the Width and depth throughout their length. The subsidiary feed grooves 19 for each main feed groove 18 are all arranged in closely spaced parallel relation, and their longitudinal axes are arranged at a small angle to that of their main feed groove, so that a relatively large number, as six for example, may all intersect the main feed groove. The several feed grooves 19 each group are of varying lengths so that the outer ends of all lie rou'ghl at the same distance from the center of the disk. Actually, however, the outer boundary of the feed groove area of the disk is sawtoothed and the arrangement is such that the longest of the grooves 19 lies slightly nearer the center of the disk than the short est one, and the radial distance from the center of the disk to the enter ends of successive grooves progressimly increases as the length of the grooves decreases. Thus, the ends of the grooves 19 in any one group terminate in a curved line Wlich is eccentric to the curvature of the disk.

Outside the inner and approximately an nular portion of the disk occupied by the described feed grooves, the disk face is sn stantially covered by many hundreds of re ducing pockets 20 which are preferably an ranged in two distinct series, as will now be described. The main feed grooves 18 indicate generally radial lines of snba ,i sion of the disk face and may be said mark the latter off into substantially sectorshaped sections. In each of such sections, the pockets 20 are arranged in separate series of sets, as A, B, C, l), E, F, G, H. Such series may be termed the radial se ries, characterized in order by the location of each set farther from the center of the diskthan the preceding set. Since in each of the described sections there are generally similar radial series of sets and since these sector-shaped sec T. ns marl-z off the disk face along generally radial lines of subdivision, as above described, it follows that the pockets 20 are arranged in still another series, Which may be termed the circular or concentric series and conveniently indicated by the series designation A-A. etc., BB", etc., CC etc., D l etc LL-H etc. The number of p ckets in each set is so chosen as to substantially cover the arcuate extent of the segment and thus the number of pockets in successive sets any radial series will increase progress; vely according to the distance of the set from. the center of thedisk, as eight pockets for the set A, nine for E, for C and so on. The numbers specified may, of course, be varied, and the only purpose of specifying the exact arra genient employed With the present embodiment of the invention is to bring the general scheme of orderly and systematic arrangement of the pockets into clear relief and not to suggest that the invention resides in the exact arrangement described.

Each pocket 20 is preferably longer than it is Wide and is made with one face subtantially normal to the outer face of the isk, and the other face and the end surfaces 'radually slope to the outer face of the disk, s clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 10. T his arangement lends itself to manufacture by asting operations, and the described feedgrooves are fashioned in a generally similar manner, already described, for the same reason. In certain. instances, where the number of pockets chosen to a set is insuffii-ient to cover the arcuate extent of a disk section and the next largest number of pockets is too great, the are provided smaller pockets 21 simply for the purpose of preventing nndnly large flat on the disk face. The pockets 21 are not thong it of as appertaining in strictness to the sets of pock- 20. Plath r, they are incl fillers in for A .se described. The disk segments, after their formation by casting, are finished merely by grinding their plane faces, and the grinding operation Will not impair the eli'ectivencss of he reducing surfaces.

The pockets 20 in any one section of a disk sector, as the sets A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, for example, are arranged in parallel. relation with each other and also in parallel relation with the a ixiliary feed grooves 19, which, as has be n seen, are arranged with their longitudi al axes at an acute angle to that of the main, and generally radially disposed, feed grooves 18. Each pocket, except the special pockets 21 and certain pockets in the outermost sets, is preferably made of substantially equal length. Thus, the dividing Walls which separate the sets of any one radial series of pockets, are parallel and, since the termini of the auxiliary feed grooves 19 lie in a curve which is eccentric to the disk, the dividing Walls, as 22, which separate the several sets of a radial series, are likewise curved and eccentric to the disk. The general arrangement just described is desirable as providing an orderly and systematic distribution of the pockets and although flexible to a certain extent according to some features of the invention, is preferred since it permits the disk face to be most effectively broken up leaving but few flats and these of relatively small area.

As described, the several sets of pockets in each radial series are separated one from the other and from the feed grooves 9 by curved dividing walls 22, and such walls are purposely made of relatively small top area. There are also provided like narrow divi iling walls between the several pockets of each set and generally rad'al walls 24:, which in conjunction with the feed grooves 18 mark off the pockets 20 into generally circular or concentric se s. The walls 24 are also made as narrow as possible and may be broken up to as great an extent as desired by the special pockets 21, already described.

In operation, the cocoa, chocolate, or other substance of a like difiicult nature to refine, is fed to the central spaces S and S (Fig. 1) through feed pipes f and f, respectively, and passes into the main feed grooves 18. As will be seen from Fig. i, the entrance ends of such grooves cover the major portion of the arcuate extent of the center opening of the disk, whereby a free and speedy passage of the chocolate, radially outward from the spaces S and S, is insured. This result may be increased, if desired, by causing one of the auxiliary grooves 19 (the longest) of each disk section to also communicate with the center opening of the disk and thus aid in the rapidity of the outward flow of chocolate. From the main grooves 18, the streams of outwardly flowing choco late divide in fanlike form into a larger number of smaller and substantially parallel streams in the auxiliary feed grooves 19. The arrangement of main and auxiliary feed grooves is designed,taking into consideration the length, cross-sectional shape and area of the various grooves,-so that the fed chocolate for any one disk section will airrive at the first dividing wall 22 at substan tially the same time and in a number of substantially equal streams at a plurality of points along said wall. By this arrangement of the feeding grooves, the pockets of the first sets (A, A A etc.,) of the radial series receive substantially an equal amount of chocolate and a uniform yet rapid distribution of the chocolate from the feed opening to the first sets of the radial series is insured.

The disk a. is rotated and the feeding of the liquor proceeds, preferably under positive and measured constant pressure. Such liquor tends, of course, to flow directly to the periphery of the disks and to escape into the pan g through the outlet provided and already described. Such direct flow is, however, eifectively prevented by the described arrangement of pockets and dividing walls. The liquor is stopped from passing directly from the feed groove 19 into the pockets A of the same disk, as R, and is stopped from passing from the pockets A to pockets B and from the latter to the pockets C and so on to the periphery of the disk R by the curved dividing walls 22. i The liquor is like wise stopped from flowing froi pocket to pee h t in a generally circular direction by. the dividing walls 23. The pockets of the coacting disk, as R, however, serve to connect the pockets of one set, as A, to those of the next set, as B, and also to connect a pocket in one set to the adjacent pocket in such set. That is, the liquor is forced to pass from. one of the coacting disks to the other in a sinusoidal or scroll-1i ke path many times before it can reach the disks periphery and is thus rub-bed over all the sloping surfacesof the pockets many times during its passage between the coacting disks. The liquor, once reaching the peripheral portions of the disks, is prevented from escaping into any thing other than the outlet pan g, by the described band it.

it is to be noted that the liquor is refined by a rubbing distinguished from a cut ting orgrinding action. This will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 9 and a consideration of the direction of relative rotation of the disks in. connection with the disposition of the reducing surfaces of the pockets 20. Were the direction of relative rotation. reversed, cutting rather than rubhing of the liquor would occur to the detriment of the refining operation.

An important. feature of the present in vention consists in the arrangement of the eeding grooves and more particularly in such arrangement with especial relation to the disposition of the reducing pockets. The

feeding rooves and reducing pockets are segregated, each occupying a chosen part of the disk face and not overlapping into the eld of the other. By this arrangement, all parts of the liquor are forced to travel as nearly as possible a like distance and forced to pass back and forth from disk to disk in sinusoidal paths of substantially the same number of cycles, to the end that the refining of the liquor is made more uniform. At the same time, speedy and uniform distribution of the liquor to the reducing pockets is obtained by the arrangement of main and auxiliary feed grooves, which rapidly spread the liquor out in fanlike form over the inner annular portion of the disk.

The particular disposition of the pockets into generally radial and circular series is considered important, and more particularly. the arrangement of a relatively large number of sets of pockets in the radial series and so arranged that all the liquor must traverse pockets of each of the radial sets. The apparently logical way to effect the desired function is to separate the radial sets by curved dividing walls which are exactly concentric with the disk, but this has purposely been avoided. The walls 22 are purposely made eccentric to the disk so that,

when the mating disks, with like eccentric dividing walls are placed face to face, there exist no portions or" the dividing walls which are continuously in contact, whereby the chocolate would be burned. By the arrange ment chosen, both mating disks may be made from the same pattern and exactly alike in every way, while if the walls 22 were truly concentric, the walls on one plate would necessarily have to be staggered with relation to the other plate or the detrimental result of burning would ensue.

The means for securing the several sector-shaped parts of each disk in abutting relation on their backing plate is also important and constitutes an essentialfeature of the invention. By the provision of such means, the sectional parts of each reducing disk, which as described are preferably made by casting, may be efiectively held in abutting relation and firmly clamped to the backing plate without requiring the machining operations incident to the boring and counterboring of many holes. The holes may be simply formed by casting and such rough spots and irregularities as exist by reason of the casting are compensated for by the ball and socket connection described The preferred form of the invention has been disclosed herein, but many other forms and arrangements will readily su 'est themselves to those skilled in the art, having for I their object the use of the invention in a g I periphery of the disk and a plurality of specific form differing from the precise one dlsclosed. It 1s, therefore, desired to hav the scope of the invention determined by th i appended claims interpreted 1n the sp1r1t of the disclosure of one exact form rather;

than in the letter of the exact form shown. 5

E area of the disk face, and the outer area of l. A reducing disk for cocoa, chocolate the latter being provided with said reducing and the like, having on its reducing face in lVhat I claim is segregated and non-overlapping relation, a plurality of specially formed pockets and a plurality of feeding grooves to supply such pockets from the central portion of the disk, said non-overlapping relareducing ops of which lie in the plane of the outer grooves and distribute the substance to be refined by way of the auxiliary grooves in fanlike form to said pockets.

2. In a reducing disk for cocoa, chocolate, and the like, having on its reducing face, a plurality of reducing pockets and a plurality of feeding grooves to supply such pockets and having such grooves and pockets arranged in se arate and non-overlapp ng portions of the disk face, said feedmg grooves including a series of angularly spaced feeding grooves each of which extends from the central feed opening of the disk outwardly toward its periphery and gradually decreases in depth and width as it approaches the outer boundary of the feed groove portion of the disk, and a plurality of smaller and auxiliary feed grooves emanating at an angle from each main feeding groove, each main and auxiliary feeding groove having one substantially normal lon gitudinal face and another longitudinal face w I p Wl'llCll slopes gradually Irom the bottom of the groove to the outer face of the disk.

3. A reducing disk for cocoa, chocolate, and the like, having on its reducing face in segregated and non-overlapping relation, a plurality of reducing pockets and a plurality of feeding grooves to supply such pockets from the feed opening at the center of the disk, said feeding grooves including a main feeding groove which extends from the feed opening outwardly toward the inaller and auxiliary feeding grooves for .,such main feeding groove and arranged I with their longitudinal axes at an acute angle to the axis of the main feeding groove,

the feeding grooves occupying an inner pockets arranged in substantially radial series, the pockets of each series being separated from those of adjacent series by dividing walls which are a ranged eccentric to the axis of rotation of the disk and the tion providing that the reducing pockets face of the disk.

and the feeding grooves occupy and defin separate and distinct zones upon the surface-v of the disk, the reducing pockets occupying the outer and generally annular portion of the disk face and the feeding grooves the inner portion thereof, said feeding grooves including a series of angularly spaced main feeding grooves each of which extends from the central feed opening of the disk outwardly in a generally radial direction to and terminates at the inner boundary of said annular portion, and a plurality of smaller and auxiliary feedinggrooves for each main feeding groove and arranged with their longitudinal axes at an acute angle to the axis of the main feeding groove, so that each of the latter may intersect with many auxiliary l. A reducing disk for cocoa, chocolate, and the like, having on its reducing face in segregated and non-0v rlapping relation, a plurality of reducing pockets and a plurality of feeding grooves to supply such pockets from the feed opening at the center of the disk, said feeding grooves including a series of angularly spaced main feeding grooves which extend from the feed opening outwardly toward the periphery of the disk and a plurality of smaller and auxiliary feeding grooves for each of the main feeding grooves and arranged with their longitudinal axes at an acute angle to the aXis of their main feeding groove, so that many auxiliary grooves may intersect with their main feeding groove, the entire system of feeding grooves occupying aninner and substantially saw-toothed area of the disk face the remainder of the latter being covered by many hundreds of said reducing pockets arranged in substantially radial series, the pockets of each series being separated from those of adjacent series by dividing walls which are arranged eccentric to the axis of rotation of the disk and the tops of which lie in the plane of the outer face of the disk.

A reducing disk for cocoa, chocolate, and the like, haidno 'on its reducing; face in segregated and non-overlapping relation, a plurality of rcducin, pockets and a plurality of feeding grooves to supply such pockets from the feed og iening at the center of the disk, said feeding grooves including a series of angular-1y spaced"1nain feeding grooves which extend from the feed opening outwardly toward the periphery of the disk and a plurality of smaller and auxiliary feed-inn grooves for each of the main feeding grooves andarranged'with their longitudinal axes at an acute angle to the axis of their main feeding groove, so that many auxiliary grooves may intersect with their main feeding groove, the entire s: tom of feeding grooves occiupyiug an inner and substantially saw-toothed area of thedisk face the remainder of the latter being covered by many hundreds of said reducing; pockets arranged in substantially radial. and substantially circular series, the pockets of each radial series being separated from those of adjacent series by relatively narrow and curved dividing walls, the curvature of which is eccentric to the axis of rotation of the disk and the tops of which lie in the plane of the outer face of the disk, said pockets being further divided into substantially circular series along lines indicated by the main feeding grooves and by relatively narrow and generally radial dividina' walls, the tops of which are in the plane of the outer face of the disk.

6. A reducing disk for cocoa, chocolate, and the like, having on its reducing face, a series of singularly spaced main feeding grooves which emanate from the feed Opening in the center and extend toward the periphery of the disk but terminate nearer to the center than to the periphery of the disk, a series of spaced parallel auxiliary feedinc; grooves for each of the first-named grooves and arranged with their axes at an acute angle to the axis of their main feet ing groove, whereby the latter will intersect many of the auxiliary feedinggrooves, the latter of each series being of progressively varying length and terminating; at progressively incrisinn' distances from the center of the disk, whereby the entire system of feeding grooves occupies a substantially saw-toothed area of the inner portion of the disk, and beyond such area the disk face being covered by a large number of reducing pockets divided into generally circular series along the lines of the main feed ing grooves, the pockets in each of such series having their longitudinal axes parallel with those of the auxiliary feeding grooves and being further arranged in curved rows separated one from the other and from the last-named grooves by curved dividing walls which are of relatively small top area and are ercentrically disposed with. relation to the axis of rotation of the disk.

7. i reducing disk for cocoa, chocolate, and the like, havingon its reducing face, a series of angularly spaced niain feeding grooves which emanate from the feed opening in the center and extend toward the periphery of the disk, but terminate nearer to the center than to the periphery of the disk, a series of spaced parallel auxiliary feeding grooves for each of the first-named grooves and arranged with their axes at an acute angle to the axis of their main feeding groove, whereby the latter will intersect many of the auxiliary feeding grooves, the latter of each series being}; of progressively varying; length and terminating at progressively increasing distances from the center of the disk, whereby the entire system of feeding; grooves occupies a substantially saw-toothed. area of the inner portion of the disk, and beyond such area the disk face being covered by a lar 'e number of reducing pockets divided into generally circular series along the lines of the main feeding grooves, the pockets in each of such series having their longitudinal axes parallel with those of the auxiliary feeding grooves and being further arranged in curved rows separated one from the other and from the lastnamed grooves by curved dividing walls which are of relatively small top area and are eccentrically disposed with relation to the axis of rotation of the disk, said grooves and pockets having one substantially normal longitudinal face and a second longitudinal face which gradually slopes from the bottom of the groove or pocket to the outer face ofthe disk.

8. A reducing disk, comprising, a: circular supporting plate and a plurality of substantially sector-shaped sections assembled in abutting relation on the face of said plate, each of such sections being substantially covered on its outer face by a plurality of specially formed reducing pockets designed to be made by casting operations and the section having cast in each radial edge at least one recess which, when the sections are assembled, mates with a like recess in an abutting section to form a hole having an enlarged outer portion and a shoulder intermediate its ends, retaining screws passing through each of such holes and into said plate and having heads on their outer ends, and means in the nature of a ball and socket device provided between each of said heads and said shoulders. o

9. In a device of the class described, a plurality of sections adapted to be assembled in abutting relation. a backing plate to which the assembled sections are secured, each of such sections being substantially covered on its outer face by a plurality of specially Formed reducing pockets designed to be made by casting operations and the section havin g cast in those edges contiguous to another section a recess to mate with a like recess in the adjoining section to form a complete hole, a retaining screw passing through each of said holes into said plate and having a head to overlie a portion of sch of the two adjoining sections, and means engageable with both said portions and by said head, said means being capable of tilting with respect to the latter to equally bind each pair of adjoining sections.

10. A reducing disk, comprising, a circular supporting plate and a plurality of substantially sectonshaped sections assenibled in abutting relation on said plate to form the complete disk, each of said sections being substantially covered on its outer face by a plurality of specially formed reducing pockets designed to be made by casting operations and} having cast in each radial edge at least one recess which, when the sections are assembled, will mate with a like recess in an adjoining section to form complete hole, a retaining screw passing through each of said holes and having a head to overlie a substantially semi-circular portion on both adjoining sections, and means in the nature of a ball and socket de vice between such portions and the head of the retaining screw.

ll. A reducing disk, comprising, a circular supporting plate and a plurality of substantially sector-shaped sections assembled in abutting relation on said plate to form the complete disk, each of said sections being substantiall Y covered on its outer face by a plurality of specially formed reducing pockets designed to be made by casting operations and having cast in each radial edge at least one recess which, when the sections are assembled, will mate with a like recess in an adjoining section to form a complete hole to receive a retaining screw, each hole having an enlarged outer portion to receive the head of said screw and a shoulder intermediate the ends of the hole to be held. by said head, a headed retaining screw passing tn-ough each of such holes and into said plate, and a washer loosely encompassing each screw and having one face to engage said shoulder and an opposite face to be engaged by said head, the contiguous faces o'f the latter and said washer being complementarily rounded to permit tilting of the washer relatively to the screw.

ALONZO LINTON BAYUSMAN. 

